The Oster Republic
The Oster Republic existed from 1703 until 1795 when it was replaced by a Commonwealth. It was founded following the the Ducal War of 1690 and saw the regeneration of the economy despite harsh social policies. Formation On the 29 January 1703, the Grafsmeer (the parliament of the the Duchy of Oster) issued an edict known as the Republic Charter (Republikstreten). Signed by 43 members of the Grafsmeer it established a republic governed by a Chancellor elected by the Grafsmeer which was now known as the Council of the Republic. Chancellors served for their lifetime. Government The republic was served by three Chancellors: *Erick Dekerf, served from 1703 until 1725. *Claus van Steibs, served from 1725 until 1766. *Albert Reeth-Bauer, served from 1766 until 1790. Whilst the government was republican in nature, it existed as a form of absolute governance akin to the rule of the Dukes of Oster who had reigned from 1603 until 1703. Whilst the Council of the Republic passed acts of parliament, it was the Chancellor who gave his assent and in many cases, bitter disputes broke out between the Chancellor and members of the council who disagreed on issues of the day. Under Dekerf, the fabric of Osterian society was torn apart. The Republic had been founded by noblemen unhappy with the rule of the Ducal government but they had no desire to remove their titles or give up their hereditary privelege. Unhappy with their lot, the poorer classes rebelled constantly but were put down by harsh criminal laws. The monasteries saw their powers diminished. However, Dekerf did lift the ban on 'red circled' goods allowing imports to return and many industries began to prosper again. By the time of his death, the country's economy was thriving but socially there was much resentment between the classes. Claus van Steibs is remembered as "the sleeping Chancellor", happy to allow the Council to take over the legislature and often marking his approval for laws with a cross rather than his full signature. He rarely attended debates and spent the majority of his time on his private estate in Belhaven where he died in 1766. With the election of Albert Reeth-Bauer in 1766, life changed dramatically. Whilst most countries were experiencing a boom thanks to the industrial revolution, Bauer tried to hold back industrialisation believing it to encourage movement among the lower classes. The economy began to fail once more and in 1775, a starving nation revolted against him. The 1775 Revolt erupted in April and the Council of the Republic called on Bauer to resign. He immediately abolished the Council and used the army to quell dissent, holding onto absolute power until 1790 when he was murdered by his closest advisors. The council reformed but didn't have the backing of the military. The first public election was held with all men over the age of 21 casting a ballot. They demanded a constitution and led by Martijn de Nieppe began to take back control. Fall of the Republic The Republic did not fall with the death of Bauer or the election of 1790. Whilst many accepted that the current system had failed, few were eager to return to the days of semi-feudal government. The de Nieppe family was one of the oldest in the Osterlands and it's members had served as judges, generals and bishops. Martijn de Nieppe was a 35 year old judge at the time of the election and stood for office in the Council of Trauberg which governed the country following the fall of the Council of the Republic. A popular voice in national debate, de Nieppe believed that his country should look to countries such as Britain for a model of government. He upheld that constitutional monarchy protected the people whilst parliament represented them. He began to tour the country to gain support for The Five Principles; *''That all men have a right to work with the means avaliable to them'' *''That all men are subject to the law'' *''That all men have a right to determine their fate'' *''That all men have a right to be elected to a national parliament'' *''That all men are subject to the order of things; God, King and the Law'' De Nieppe was popular among Catholics, nobles and landowners but he faced opposition from Dutch and German settlers who were largely protestant and were concerned that their country would become a vassal state of Rome under a Catholic monarchy. However, there were also those who believed that de Nieppe was attempting to take the crown for himself. In 1793, he proposed an act of parliament to the Council of Trauberg which gave authority to a Commission which could put forward a manifesto of how a new kingdom could function, with a constitution. De Nieppe headed the Commission and in 1795, it was presented to the people who voted in favour of it. Supported by clergy, politicians, military leaders and exiled state Councilmen who had been forced to leave the country under Bauer, a date was set for 1802 for the new constitution to be enacted however it took far longer. Finally in 1815, the Congress of Vienna recognised the territory of the former Oster Republic as the Kingdom of the Osterlands and the constitution was put into place.